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"I re I’ve done the dirty work for you So let’s spare you that penny I’, why bother to wait for you to die? I could sht now and take care of you nicely" Slowly, I hold his gaze with a cold sloves fro one hand inside

He glares at o and clean up, Greyson"

One of the guys steps forith a suit

I callove

"As before, no one will know your nains in a softer tone "You can have money and the life you want as my son--in fact, I demand you live like a prince But I need your head and heart in this The job comes first, and I’ll have your word on that"

"I have no heart, but you can have my head The job is all there is and all that’s ever been I AM my job"

Silence

We survey each other

I can see the respect in his eyes, even, er a thirteen-year-old, easily bullied by him

"For the past five years of your absence, ins, "they’ve seen no weakness frole cent owed or we’ll be seen as weak--and right now there are many collections left to be done"

"Why not have your minions do it?"

"Because there’s no one as clean as you Not even the fighters knoho you are Zero trace You’re in, you’re out, no casualties, and a hundred percent success rate"

Eric pulls out my father’s old Beretta and offers it to htly over two pounds of steel, I findit at my father’s forehead "How about instead I take your Beretta Stor me where et the job done, I’ll reveal your un instead "You can die first, old man You’re well on your way already and I want to see her"

My father’s eyes flick to Eric, and then to me I wonder if Eric will really be "loyal" to me while my father sits there, pretty as you please

"If I die," ins, "her location will be safely revealed in an envelope, already in a secure location But I won’t reveal shit until you prove to h the collection of what every name on this list owes me, that you are--even after these years apart--loyal to round is yours"

Eric walks over to a nearby chest and produces a long list

"We won’t be using your real name," Eric whispers as he hands it over "You’re the Enforcer now, our Collector; you go by your old alias"

"Zero," the rest of the men in the room say, almost reverently Because I have zero identity, and leave zero traces I run through cell phones like I run through socks I a, a number, not even human "Maybe I don’t respond to that alias anyloves before I stretch them out and open the list

"You will respond to it because you’re ed, and work your way down the list"

I scan the naht people to blacket ht people e s to me that needs to be retrieved"